Which Is Better For Business To Specialise Or Generalise

Lately I’ve been speaking to a lot of people regarding their fitness business and a common question tends to surround having a niche that makes them stand out from the rest.

In my experience business is quite simple.

You create a product that provides value, benefit and overall improvement to someones life.

Now it’d be nice to be one of those businesses that create just one product that brings in what is essentially endless return on the initial investment, however that’s not probable or worth putting all your chips down on, so try to keep these points in mind.

• Establish the continued needs of your clientele
• Provide not only solutions to problems, also provide long term value, benefit and an unforgettable experience
• Stop trying to be flavour of the month for the sake of it, actually provide/offer useful services

The key difference between specialising and generalising in business isn’t what you think.

You see it’s absolutely possible to specialise in a specific niche/corner of the market and demographic you’re catering for while also offering multiple (general) products that are of benefit/value to each customer in such a way that has them feel each one was created just for them.

Speaking from a fitness business perspective, because that’s where my experience is rooted.

I personally focus on getting results, more specifically life changing results and these aren’t for everyone because of how they are delivered.

My niche you see is simple, it’s Life Changing Results.

Bold as that sounds anyone that has gone through the process and applied the knowledge and put in the effort came out the other end a much better version of themselves because despite what the modern narrative says I don’t believe anyone is ‘the best they can be’ as they currently are.

We can always improve in some way, and what is life without the desire for constant and continued growth?

People achieve life changing results with me through these 3 steps:

1. Habit Change (permanent habit change that is)
2. Strength Training
3. Doing only that which you need and no more, minimalism all the way

For many years I’ve been saying this to people when it comes to describing my business in the elevator pitch fashion – “Do less better.”

It can seem odd to some, however a lot of the people I’ve dealt with have been frustrated for years trying 1001 things to achieve whatever it is they’re after so I offer them the simple option of doing less to achieve more than they ever have before.

There’s one tough pill to swallow though, when you strip away all the unnecessary BS there tends to be very little in the way of poor excuses or dodgy rational to justify failure and instead people must begin to reflect deeply on their role in it all.

It’s tough for anyone to accept they were in fact the main problem in their own life.

So while my niche might be focused around people giving away the current troubles in life they have and growing to become more, it’s done through what can be called general strength training, body composition improvement, evolved nutritional habits etc.

Fitness itself at the grassroots level is much of a muchness.

No one really offers anything that is that different or special.

In fact the only unique thing about their business is that it’s run by them, chances are everything else is pretty standard although probably just using different colours or semantics to catch their clients eye.

Remember though there’s nothing wrong with being ‘basic’ though.

If anything that could be a niche of sorts – Brilliant Basics

No one is above honing their fundamentals and sharpening up the elements that seem to get a token amount of time spent on them because when you look at anything in any field that is done at the highest level the basics are usually sturdy and often used again and again.

Now that I’ve had a bit of a mind dump.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is this – It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you do it very well (ideally better than anyone else).

You can specialise or generalise, regardless be so good that people can’t deny or dispute you do good work and that will be the headwind that carries you across the ocean that is business to the island known as success whereby you can enjoy the view of just how far you’ve come and all that you’ve achieved.

Before I finish up though I will leave you with 3 obscure areas in fitness that are absolute Gold Mines it’s up to you if whether or not you choose to focus on one of them.

• Massage & Manual Therapies – specifically helping people be pain free
• Injury Rehab – Linked to the above, except you focus on one area such as shoulder or neck etc
• Kettlebell Training – Using literally just this piece of kit for 80%+ of training

If there’s any questions you’d like to ask please fire them across.

Enjoy,
Ross